Slowdown in healthcare spending linked to weaker U.S. economy

The recession and the slow recovery from it are the major driving forces behind a recent slowdown in health care spending, while higher patient cost-sharing and other changes to the health system play a smaller role, according to a study released yesterday by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Altarum Institute, The Hill's "Healthwatch" reports. For the study, analysts developed a model that tracked health care cost growth using economic indicators over the past 50 years to predict future growth rates for health care spending.